THE WOMEN’S RAID

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6679, 30 November 1908, Page 6

THE WOMEN’S RAID

PARLIAMENT DEFENDED BY 50U0 POLICE. SUFFRAGETTE IN THE HOUSE. (From Our Special Correspondent). LONDON, October 16. When the history of the 'Tevo!t of woman” comes to be written, tho appearance of a suffragette at the Bar of the liou.se of Commons on the night of October 13th, IUO S, will doubtless be singled out as one of the most dramatic incidents in the movement. For the first tune m tho annals of Parliament a woman entered the portals of tho Chamber itself, and made a speech. It was only a sentence that she had time to shout —"Leave off talking about the children and attend to the women;” but it was the first speech ever made on tho floor of the House by a woman. Tho suffragette who made it has become famous—or notorious, according to the [>oint of view of her critics. Tills was by no means tfie only incident of a memorable day. The London .County Ccuncil Chamber was the scene of a disturbance without precedent m. Its history. Mr Frank Smith, a Labour member of the Council, endeavoured to move the suspension of the standing orders in order to discuss the urgent question of unemployment in London. The chairman ruled the motion out or order, but Mr Smith declined to accept the ruling, and went on talking. A scene of confusion such aa had never before been witnessed, in tho council chamber then ensued. While the chairman endeavoured to call over the items on tho agenda-paper, Mr Smith went on reading his resolution, and the unemployed in the gallery alternately cheered and hooted. The meeting was adjourned for fifteen minutes, but Mr Smith, surrounded by a group of his friends on the Council, continued his harangue to the empty bench. Then the gallery was cleared, and the chairman took his seat again. Mx Smith, continued his speech, and was called upon to retire. He refused. The attendants were ordered to put him out, but his friends gathered round him and prevented all attempts to dislodge the speaker. There was some hustling and struggling, but no blows were struck. Then Die Council adjourned for half an hour, n*d on resuming was at once adorned sine die, tho day’s agenda, couitisting of over 130 pages, remaining absolutely untouched. SUFFRAGIST LEADERS ARRESTED.

Tuesday also saw the arrest of the three chief leaders of the Women’s Social and Political Union —Mrs Pankhurst on a charge of publishing a handbill inciting the public to "rush” the House of Commons. The ladies had disobeyed the summons to appear at Bow street Police Court that morning, and warrants were issued for their arrest. The police went forthwith to the offices of the W.S.P.tT. in Clement's Inn, but the ladies they wanted were not there. Instead a letter was handed to the inepeo tor which ran thus: — Dear Mr Jarvis, — We shall not be at the office, 4, Clement’s Inn, until six o’clock to-day, but at that hour wc shall all three be entirely at your disposal.—Yours truly, CHBISTABBL PANKHURST. October 13tb, 1908. A search of the offices, which occupy several rooms on more than on© floor, was then made, but fruitlessly. There was, however, a strong belief that Mrs and Miss Pankhurst at least were within the building, and were possibly at the flat of Mr and Mrs Petherick, higher up. In consideration of the fact that all possible exits to 4, Clement’s Inn, could be kept under observation, and that when the leaders of the movement had made a definite undertaking to the police they had kept their word, no further actual search was then made. But strict watch was kept all the afternoon by Inspector Jarvis and his staff of uniformed and plain-clothes men. . As a matter of fact, Mrs Pankhurst and her daughter spent the day in Mrs Petherick Lawi-enoe’s flat, and while the police were searching down below the two ladies wore photographed on the roof garden by the "Daily Mirror.” The whole proceeding certainly had its comic side. At (i o'clock Mrs Drummond arrived at Clement’s Inn, the Pankhurst© came downstairs, and the three ladies surrendered to the police, and went off to the look-up, amid volleys of cheer© from their supporters and sympathisers. PARLIAMENT UNDER SIEGE. All through the afternoon and evening Parliament was guarded by a force of about ouoO police, mounted and on foot. Tho square was swept clean of people before asingle suffragette put in an appearance in the evening. Cordons of police were drawn across the thoroughfares leading into Parliament square, and the vast crowds of spectators, suffregettes, unemployed and hooligans were driven back towards Trafalgar square. At a quarter to eight a deputation of women suffragist© left Claxton Hall, off Victoria street, to march to the House of Commons to deliver the resolution passed by tho women's mooting. The Instant tney appeared tho police closed in upon them. "Let us go forward I” cried Miss Dunlop, the leader, with her eye© flashing. “We are a deputation to Parliament i” "Certainly, ma’am,” replied the inspector, "we are only her© to—to look after you. March on!” So the march began, quietly ©uougn. The deputation was invisible for police —fluttering sheep in a fold of blue. Quite orderly it proceeded, until tho narrow way turning into Queen Victoria street was navigated. Her© swayed a great cfowd, awaiting with excitement the advent of the ladies. . A tremendous cheer went up at their coming—yells and shouts of encouragement, punctuated by hisses and loud, long "boos.” There was instantly a nasty rush, countered smartly by the police, who made that military "wedge” so favoured by the soldiers of ancient Rome, and so carved their way triumphanly and irresistibly thorugh the multiIn the very middle of that impenetrable ohalanx of tall blue Britons were tho ladles—walking two by two, and with a policeman at each arm, for safety's Sa ßy degrees the deputation —still intact in its close constabular frameworkmoved up Victoria street. Opposite the Westminster Palace Hotel a barrier of police stopped tho way and swept the road as clear as possible, with the ladies in the middle of their guardians around a long wait. Eight o'clock !” once more cried the leader of the dauntless deputation. But they pnnldn’t move an inch. "We will gol” shrieked the lady, and Straightway leapt into tho mass of I! °[f C wa.a a free fight now io this excited tumble of men and women, police ami horses. Under the windows of the Victoria street Post Office some nasty blows were given and returned, and the deputation was scattered to the winds. One or two ladies were hustled down Great Smith street; others remained m a dreadfud pickle of torn raiment and tumbled hair, tossing and declaiming (faintly) "Votes for women!" in the vortex of Victoria street. And still the crowd howled and sang and cheered in a wild pandemonium. Thero were many cracked pates and bleeding noses. Rochester row was a howling wilderness of humanity, and it was necessary for the police to charge and charge again before any order could bo created out of tho chaos. It was a wild night, throbbing with excitement, with tho rabble chorusing and yelling, and the police all the time doing their splendid best for the sake of peace and order. And in tho end they emerged triumphant—as they always do. THE SCENE IN THE HOUSE. Tho suffragette who dashed into the House was Mrs Travers Symons, the

private secretary to Mr Keir Hardie. She had gained admittance by a piece of trickery. It happened when most members were having their dinner about 8 o'clock. Mr vVatson Rutherford, a big military-look-ing Unionist, was speaking on the children’s Bill. There were only about forty members present. Suddenly, like an apparition, a lady in a picture hat and a long cream serge coat dashed into the House through the big brass-fringed doors beneath the ciock. In a trice she had stepped over the bar and tripped hall-way up the Moor. "Leave off discussing the children’s question, and turn your attention to the women!” she cried, labouring under great exictement. The voice was half-articulate, and tho indy seemed bordering on collapse. Scattered knots of lounging members looked up dumbfounded. A burly attendant dashed forward, lifted the intruder up in his arms, and carried her out of the Chamber. The doors swung back upon the pair again, the lady still crying out, "Turn your attention to the women’s question!” The suffragette obtained access to the threshold of the Chamber through Mr Idris, the Liberal member for Flint Boroughs, who had conducted her through the lobbies, and who was taken completely by surprise when the lady darted through the door into the Chamber. It is usual for members to escort ladies to the doors opening into tho Chamber, there being by the side a small -window through which they are permitted to peep before they are taken up in the lift to the grille. It was after peeping through the window that Mrs Symons suddenly turned and dashed in at tho door. The whole incident was over in a few seconds. Interviewed next day, Mrs Travers Symons said that she was exceedingly sorry that she had taken advantage of Mr Idris’s courtesy. She was afraid she had caused Mr Keir Hardie discomforture, but she added that her misgivings were more than outweighed by the consciousness that she had spoken a telling word on behalf of the women’s cause. She has not yet received any reply to tho apology which, she has tendered to Mr Idris. ‘ THE NIGHT’S WORK. As a result of the attempt to "rush” the House of Commons, thirty-seven suffragettes and supporters were arrested. Ten persons were treated at hospital, and seven or eight police were more or kiss injured. Many cases of pocketpicking occurred, for most of the thieves in London were on tho spot.. Traffic was disorganised for four hours. There was no loss of life, and only ono window was broken.